Did you know facts on Murray-Darling Basin?
Did you know facts on Murray-Darling Basin?
Murray–Darling Basin is Australia’s largest and most iconic river system, and is one of the biggest systems in the world. It covers over a million square kilometres in south-eastern Australia an area larger than the combined size of France and Germany.
What is the Murray-Darling Basin known for?
The Murray–Darling Basin is of significant environmental, cultural and economic value to Australia. It’s home to 16 internationally significant wetlands, 35 endangered species and 120 different species of waterbirds.
What is an interesting fact about the Murray River?
The River Murray is Australia’s longest river. It’s 2508 kilometres long, spanning New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. Almost 2000 km is navigable, making it the third longest navigable river on the planet, with only the Amazon and Nile rivers ahead of it.
How big is the Murray-Darling Basin?
1,059,000 square kilometres
The Murray-Darling Basin is located in the south-east of Australia (map 3.17). The Basin covers 1,059,000 square kilometres or 14% of Australia’s land area.
How old is the Murray River?
about 130 million years ago
The Murray River is an ancient river, even by the time scale of geologists. It’s origins date back about 130 million years ago. At this time much of Australia was submerged under a shallow sea, so that on the map it would have appeared as a group of islands rather than in its present shape.
How many animals live in the Murray-Darling Basin?
The Basin is home to: 367 bird species (35 of which are endangered), including 98 species of waterbirds. 85 mammal species (20 of which are extinct, 16 endangered) over 50 native fish species.
How did the Murray River get its name?
The main towns in the Murray River valley are Albury, Wodonga, Echuca, Swan Hill, Mildura, Renmark, and Murray Bridge. The river is named after Colonial Secretary Sir George Murray.
Who named the Murray Darling Basin?
Sir George Murray
Hovell in 1824. It wasn’t until five years later, however, that Charles Sturt navigated down the Murrumbidgee to encounter the Murray and named it after Sir George Murray, when his exploration party encountered the Darling connection.
How was the Murray river named?
The river is named after Colonial Secretary Sir George Murray.
How deep is the Murray River?
The river is 40-50 m wide, with most pools 2 m deep although there are some reaches with pools 4-5 m deep.
What plants live in the Murray River?
Sedgelands and rushlands. Sedges and rushes are non-woody plants that grow densely in areas where there is a lot of water, such as wetlands, floodplains and rivers. Some sedges and rushes, such as common spikerush, are naturally widespread and common, though they rarely grow across large areas.
How old is the Murray river?
What is the landscape of Murray Darling basin like?
The landscape of Murray Darling Basin is mostly depicted as far, low-lying and flat inland. The level of rainfall received by the basin is very low. There are many native animals living in Murray Darling Basin.
How many people live in the Murray-Darling basin?
Over 2 million people live in the Basin. The States in the Murray-Darling Basin include, Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia, Queensland and the ACT. The Basin’s most valuable resource is water. The water in the Murray-Darling river system comes from a very small percentage of the Basin area; mainly along the southern and eastern rim.
Why is there salt in the Murray-Darling basin?
The Murray–Darling Basin naturally has high levels of salt in the landscape as it has been deposited by rainfall over many thousands of years; salt can only naturally leave the Basin when it is carried to the Murray mouth in South Australia. Natural salt levels have been enhanced by land clearing and diverting water for irrigation.
Why don’t the rivers in the Murray-Darling basin flood?
Almost 86% of the vast ‘catchment’ area contributes very little or no regular run-off to rivers. The rivers have very low gradients over most of their length, which cause them to flow slowly as they meander across the vast inland plains. The three longest rivers in Australia all run through the Murray-Darling Basin.